Exine
Case study · Data sanitisation and hardware systems

Custom data sanitisation hardware

A production-ready custom hardware platform providing full digital control, process enforcement, and auditable traceability for Insurgo’s enterprise tape erasure operation — taking a proven concept from prototype electronics to a finished, deployable product.

Client
Insurgo Media Services
Engagement
Production deployment and ongoing evolution
The tape erasure unit with a cartridge loaded, its front display reading “killing tape forward”
Before

Prototype electronics under a process about to scale

  • Through hole construction with non-standard board interconnects, not suitable for production deployment.
  • Tape drives with no digital control designed into them.
  • Erasure that had to be evidenced, with no hardware-level record of each step.
  • A commercial launch ahead, and no manufacturable platform to launch on.
After

A production board built around the erasure process

  • A custom surface-mount PCB, from schematic and layout through to manufacture.
  • Direct control of the tape drive motors used for winding and unwinding.
  • RFID read through the antenna infrastructure already in place.
  • Auditable data captured at each step and fed into the Investigo platform.

What we built

Custom surface-mount PCB

Schematic design, layout, component selection, firmware, manufacturing coordination and validation.

Digital drive control

Takes control of the repurposed tape drive motors, with a display for operational feedback.

RFID identification

Reads assets through the existing antenna infrastructure, keeping the mechanical assemblies unchanged.

Auditable by design

SD card logging, a real-time clock and network connectivity put every step on the record.

Results

  • Delivered a finished, production ready hardware platform. From prototype through to manufactured product
  • Full digital control of enterprise tape drive hardware with custom PCB and firmware
  • Process conformance enforced at the hardware level, with auditable records generated at each step
  • RFID-based asset identification integrated using existing antenna infrastructure
  • Compatible with existing mechanical assemblies throughout
  • Forms the physical control layer within the broader Investigo traceability system

“I have worked with Exine for over 5 years now and their ability to innovate and deliver has been fundamental in supporting Insurgo’s growth. They have been incredibly flexible and responsive as Insurgo’s fast growth has meant that requirements can often change.”

Gavin Griffiths, Managing Director · Insurgo Media Services

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